Thank you to everyone who joined professional baseball’s Tom Koehler and the Blechman Foundation in our third annual baseball challenge, “Strikeout PD!”

During the month of April 2017, Miami Marlins’ starting pitcher Tom Koehler teamed with the Blechman Foundation in its third annual baseball challenge to raise funds for Parkinson’s disease research and community awareness about PD. During Tom’s 5 starts in April he had 20 strikeouts!

Individuals and companies are encouraged to pledge money for every strikeout Tom has in April.  All of the funds raised in the Challenge go to fund PD research.

Thanks to the support of our generous contributors and a fantastic month by our partner, Tom Koehler, we were able to raise more than $17,000!

The connection in April between the Challenge and PD is natural.  April is National Parkinson’s Awareness Month and the start of the Major League Baseball season.  Parkinson’s disease is a movement disorder that robs its victims of strength, agility and mobility, the very physical capabilities required to strikeout Major League Baseball hitters.  Tom has distinguished himself as a professional pitcher for his durability, consistency … and strikeouts.

The “Strikeout PD” Challenge marked the third consecutive year that the Blechman Foundation has teamed with a Major League Baseball player to raise awareness of and research funding for PD. The Challenge has attracted national and local television and print media coverage.  Check out the Press Center for some of the past reporting on the Challenge.

The Blechman Foundation is an IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization.  Since its inception in 2012, the Foundation has raised approximately $300,000 for PD research and funded 6 grants, one of which led to a scientific breakthrough in PD treatment and two published papers in leading scientific papers.  The Foundation’s mission is to provide early stage funding to identify and develop effective neuroprotective drugs and therapies, which will delay or stop the progression of the disease in the brain and prevent or slow the physical symptoms of the disease.  PD afflicts about one million people in the U.S. annually.

The Blechman Foundation is grateful for the support of Tom Koehler in this year’s “Strikeout PD” Challenge. #StrikeOutPD Learn more about Tom Koehler and his strikeouts here!